"Sinn Fein will resist Government cutbacks" - Ó Caoláin

"The months ahead will see a concerted campaign of cutbacks by the Fianna F‡il/Progressive Democrats government. They mismanaged the economy for the past five years with taxation policies which benefited the rich most and widened the gap between working people and the wealthy. The privileged minority are well insulated against the effects of the economic downturn - it is ordinary citizens who will now be forced to pay the price.

"The government could have harnessed the wealth of the Celtic Tiger to close the poverty gap, to provide social housing for those most in need of it, to end the two-tier system in health and to improve the education of our children. Instead, with his gambler's mindset, Champagne Charlie McCreevy squandered the prosperity and is now preparing to wield the knife.

"I pledge here today that Sinn Fein will campaign vigorously throughout this State in defence of public services. We will resist the cuts and we will stand side by side with people defending the health, education and social services which have been built up by working people."